how to draw 3d lettering a

There is something magical near drawing a 3D alphabetic character on a 2D surface. 3D lettering is a technique to create shadows and dimension in your lettering. It makes a letter, word or even an entire phrase, pop correct out of the page—a play a joke on that can exist extremely useful when creating commercial designs.

Every bit technology evolved and designers searched for new ways to improve the looks of design, shadow type became an intriguing fine art grade.

Here are a few examples of 3D lettering in action:

Designers and craftsmen used forest, metallic and glass to craft unique typefaces … the results 'found a ready sale amid newly rich merchants' who wanted to advertise their businesses. Shadows were more than mere graphic tricks; they were also veritable signposts of consumption.

When I started lettering I tried to stay abroad from experimenting with intricate shadows and effects because I thought it was likewise complicated to pull off. But guess what? It'south non as complicated as it seems. In fact, once you go the hang of it, you probably won't want to finish!

But before yous swoop into this more avant-garde aspect of hand lettering, information technology'southward a good thought to bone upwards on the nuts:

This in-depth introduction to hand lettering will walk you through the fundamentals: what lettering actually is, the anatomy of letters, unlike lettering styles, plus a quick practice to kick beginning your creative juices and get you experimenting with expressive lettering.
When y'all get comfortable with drawing single letters and words, caput over to this advanced lettering guide, which will help you accept your lettering game to the next level by building out more than complex layouts and using longer phrases.

Once you lot're no longer intimidated by cartoon simple letters, words or phrases, you can jump into the tutorial below and add some mind-blowing dimensions to your lettering!

Dissimilar types of shadows and dimensions for 3D lettering
—

When adding shadows and dimensions to letters, there are quite a few routes you tin take. Showtime with something as simple every bit a drop line. Then turn that line into a clean drop shadow, which you can add together some shading to afterwards. For extra depth y'all can add some inner shadows to your letters or if yous're feeling audacious y'all tin can play with some bevels, too.

Sounds fun, right? Let'south have a look at each selection, starting from the easiest, with quick tips on how to achieve each expect. But before we begin, keep this essential rule in mind: when creating shadows it'south important to define a calorie-free source and stick to it throughout the design to maintain a consequent look.

Drop line

The drop line is probably the simplest and quickest mode to give your letters some dimension.

You only have to trace a line near your principal letters. If this is your first fourth dimension doing this, it will aid to duplicate the layer that contains the letters. Drag its opacity down and slightly motion it to the side—this tends to exist a 45* degree.

On a new layer, trace the edges of the shifted layer, and so delete the low opacity i.

Just make sure that when you lot draw your initial messages yous get out enough space betwixt them for the drop line.

Easy peasy!

If you're using pen and paper, try working with tracing paper at beginning. That fashion, you can only utilise the papers as guides, only like you would with the layers.

Driblet shadow

Calculation shadows works for bold, blocky letters equally well equally some thinner scripts. Go alee and experiment with adding shadows and dimensions to more lettering styles.

Start off the aforementioned way you did for the driblet line: duplicate the layer that contains the messages, send it behind the principal ane and move it to a 45* angle.

Instead of dragging the opacity down though, this fourth dimension you want to recolor it.

Staying on the aforementioned layer, start connecting the edges of the two layers.

Wasn't so difficult, right?

Now that yous're more than confident, let's spice things up by using different angles for the unlike words.

This await will brand your piece more dynamic.

Similar to the previous technique, duplicate, recolor, elevate to a 45* angle and connect the edges.

In the concurrently, you lot can likewise commencement experimenting with unlike shadow sizes.

If yous're feeling audacious, you tin can take it ane stride further past experimenting with the vanishing point.

You lot can achieve this await in two means:

Indistinguishable, resize and motility the layer, then connect all the corresponding edges; or
Define a point, connect all edges of the messages to it and trace the letters again on the shadow.

At that place is no right or wrong way to exercise this—you lot simply have to endeavour all options and see what works all-time for yous.

Alright, now that y'all take mastered adding the drop shadow, go ahead and add some shading to it.

Commencement affair you demand to do is ascertain a light source and stick to it. At outset y'all'll get lost a bit but that's okay.

An easy way to figure this out is by imagining that your letter is an actual object on a tabular array. Look at unlike objects in your room, both rounded and rectangular, to get a feel of how light and shadow play on it.

Once you get the hang of information technology, yous can mix things upwardly and add together different low-cal sources to your angled drop shadows. Get creative and weird, don't exist afraid to mess things up—you virtually certainly volition, that's how we all learn!.

Just be sure to follow the drop shadow'south direction with the shading!

If you want to make your words wait even more 3-dimensional, become the extra mile and add a new layer of shadow.

For this you'll need to duplicate your main layer, transport it all the way to the back and position information technology at the base of operations of the drop shadow.

And then, slightly move it to a 45* bending, merely this time to the contrary direction to the drop shadow.

Finally, connect the edges of the shadow and drib shadow, paying extra attention to the directions and light sources.

Inner shadow

Here things can get a fiddling complicated, but don't worry. Once more, indistinguishable the chief layer, elevate its opacity downwardly and move it to a 45* degree. This time, y'all'll want to leave information technology on top and draw a new layer between the 2.

You only have to color in the areas of the letters that are visible.

For extra depth, you shade parts of the edges. Simply call back to follow the lite source you lot defined.

Another absurd flim-flam that volition help your letters seem fifty-fifty more 3-dimensional is to add together an outline. This will requite them a "cookie cutter" consequence—it will almost wait like the letters are empty.

Simply follow the previous technique, simply add together an outline this time.

Bevel

This technique is probably the i that requires the about patience and practice.

Start by cartoon a line in the center of the letter, then connect the tip of the line with the corners of the letter.

Turn the opacity of this frame layer downwardly, and employ it equally a guide to fill up in the letterforms.

Choose three colors: 2 that are darker than the base of your letter and a lighter one.

Outset coloring the same sides with the aforementioned color, using the light source you divers.

Mix it up!

You can at present get-go to mix up all these techniques and go to some really interesting 3D lettering results!

You're a 3-dimensional dynamo!
—

If you are reading this judgement, you've powered through this tutorial and you're starting to befriend 3D lettering, which ways y'all are awesome!

With each lilliputian doodle you're getting one step closer to mastering the art of dimensional lettering. Don't worry, you'll starting time seeing the results of your do sooner than you might expect.

Merely recall to kickoff small, with some like shooting fish in a barrel drib lines and as you get comfortable with the different styles, slowly piece of work your manner up to more than circuitous dimensions. Take information technology like shooting fish in a barrel and allow yourself to make mistakes.

Practise makes perfect—nobody manages to practise intricate dimensions on the commencement effort. Effort to have fun with it and enjoy the procedure!

Want fifty-fifty more lettering inspiration?

Browse creative lettering from professional person designers.

stinsonmilatichated.blogspot.com

Source: https://99designs.com/blog/design-tutorials/3d-lettering/

how to draw 3d lettering a